Commercial Ships Port of Baltimore In the 17th century, the Port of Baltimore started as an access point for Maryland’s tobacco trade with England, but soon other commodities shipped through its natural harbor. By the end of the 18th century, the Port began trade with China, and supported by development of the railroad in the 19th century, the Port later transformed as a site for trade with Europe and South America. The Port first drew attention for its ships in 1670 and was designated a port of entry by the General Assembly in 1706. Fells Point, the deepest part of the harbor, was home to numerous shipbuilders, and later would gain renown for its Baltimore clippers, as well as the Continental Navy. Its natural depth made Fells Point a center for trade and shipping, and, in 1773, it was incorporated into Baltimore City. As Baltimore grew into a city during the Revolutionary War, the Port of Baltimore became a center for the trade with the West Indies that supported the war effort. Marylanders recognized the need to protect the Port. An earthwork fort, known as Fort Whetstone, was erected in 1776 on Whetstone Point, the narrow peninsula between branches of the Patapsco River. Wardens of the Port were authorized in 1783 to oversee construction of wharves, clear waterways, and collect duties from vessels entering and clearing the Port (Chapter 24, Acts of 1783). Trade with China commenced in 1785 as John O'Donnell brought in goods to that part of the City called Canton, just east of Fells Point, and, during the nineteenth century, Baltimore clipper ships sped around the world and developed a particularly lucrative trade with South America. To protect the Port, Fort McHenry replaced the Whetstone earthworks in 1794. Near the old fort, masonry stood in place of earthen walls, and more cannons were added, creating an upper and lower battery. The need for this more defensive structure was proven at the Battle of North Point during the War of 1812. Although Baltimore was a port long before it was a city, the State delayed its role in port development until 1827. Then, the Governor began annually to appoint State wharfingers who took charge of State-owned or leased docks, particularly those adjacent to the State Tobacco Warehouse. With the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad connecting to Port warehouses at Locust Point in 1845, Baltimore became the commercial gateway to an expanding nation. As supply and demand grew for imported goods to Baltimore, ship production and design increased. Over time, the Port changed dramatically, most noticeably in its depth and width. In 1830 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed Baltimore Harbor, establishing the central lane depth at 17 feet. Though dredging had been conducted earlier, the River and Harbor Act of 1852 first authorized dredging to obtain specific dimensions. The Act created a

channel, some 22 feet deep and 150 feet wide, from Fort McHenry to Swan Point. To decrease sediment accumulations and reduce the need for dredging, in 1869 Brewerton Channel was created. Also 22 feet in depth, this new channel was 200 feet in width. Over the years, new channels have been added, deepened, and widened. A 50-foot turning basin was dredged in the Fort McHenry Channel in 1999. Today, the main channel reaches 51 feet down and 700 feet across. Brewerton Channel was widened further in 2001. Currently, it is 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide. In 2012, the Seagirt Marine Terminal berth also was deepened to 50 feet. By mid-2015, the access channel to the Seagirt Terminal was widened to accomodate the world's largest container ships. Though constantly growing since its inception, considerable time elapsed before the Port had a State agency to oversee operations. The Maryland Port Authority assumed that role in 1956 (Chapter 2, Acts of Special Session of 1956). The Authority's prime concern was to keep the Port competitive by improving and modernizing its facilities and by promoting it worldwide. In 1971, the Authority was replaced by the Maryland Port Administration. The Port of Baltimore continues to improve today. It adds jobs and revenue to Maryland's economic base, and has even begun ecological duties. In recent years, the Maryland Port Administration added a number of green projects to its workload, dredging and cleaning over 22 acres surrounding the Port, creating an environmental education center, and taking part in ecological programs, such as the Green Schools Program, and the Masonville Restoration Project. In 2015, new LED light fixtures, which are expected to save around 80% in energy consumption each month, were installed on the bridge connecting the Dundalk and Seagirt Terminals. Cruise Lines Along with cargo terminals, Baltimore also has a passenger cruise terminal, which offers year-round trips on several lines, including Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival's Pride. The luxury cruise line, Crystal Cruises, offers an annual voyage in the fall to the Caribbean. In 2015, more than 90 cruises carrying 193,709 passengers departed from Baltimore, which ranked sixth in East Coast ports, eleventh in U.S. ports, and twentieth in world ports. The Port of Baltimore's cruise industry supports over 500 jobs and brings in over $90 million to Maryland's economy. http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/port.html Virginia Ports The Virginia's ports have been a boon to Virginia and the world for nearly four centuries. From the early founding as "America's First Port" at Jamestown in 1607 through the era of the great clipper ships to the present day sophistication of computerized inter-modal technology, Virginia has been at the forefront of every major change in the shipping industry.

The early growth of the Commonwealth was due to the cooperative effort of private and public servants, each investing their time to strengthen the outlook for Virginia’s future. Soon commerce and trade began to flourish. The Virginia Maritime Association was organized in 1920 to promote, protect and encourage international and domestic commerce through Virginia’s Ports. First known was the Norfolk Maritime Exchange (1920), the association has undergone several name changes reflecting the growth and influence throughout the region and Commonwealth- Hampton Roads Maritime Exchange (1922), Hampton Roads Maritime Association (1945) to present day Virginia Maritime Association (2006). The Virginia Maritime Association seeks and advocates for the continued growth of Virginia’s maritime industries and plays a significant leadership role to ensure that Virginia remains competitive as it relates to waterborne commerce. Highlights of advocacy and historical milestones by the Association throughout the years: 1920 February, 56 maritime business leaders sign as the founding members of the

Norfolk Maritime Exchange. 1923 Exchange actively persists and purchase of fireboat to protect port. 1924 Recommendation to Congress to fund Norfolk Harbor project and Thimble Shoal

Channel. 1926 Requests and achieves funding from Congress for channel improvements for

Southern and Eastern Branches of Elizabeth River. 1928 Exchange obtains authorization for additional anchorage off Lambert's Point to

manage increased demands. 1936 Installation of bulk cargo handling facilities, placing port in forefront of the ports

on Atlantic coast. 1939 Exchange lends aid to the development of a Municipal airport in Norfolk. 1941 Committee established to address ways to aid the government defense program in

World War II. 1956 Quote from 1956 Annual " This was a banner year. Never before in the long

history of the port, has there been as much business, as many ports, as many new and expanded facilities and services, as many ships loading and unloading, or sailing to as many ports, as many people earning a living on maritime activities, nor a keener understanding of the value of the port to the community and the State."

1957 The $6.5 million Craney Island Disposal area, initiated and sponsored by the HRMA placed in operation.

1966 Harry M. Thompson, executive vice president and secretary retires after 46 years of service to the Association.

1977 Lack of proper state funding for port development is impetus for HRMA to employ a legislative representative in Richmond.

1981 Many factors have contributed to the port's phenomenal growth, but none is as important as unification of the ports in the Hampton Roads harbor. In 1981, the

Virginia General Assembly passed landmark legislation designed to unify the ports under a single agency, the Virginia Port Authority, with a new single operating company, Virginia International Terminals, Inc. Unification has made Hampton Roads one of the fastest growing port complexes in the United States.

1986 After years of advocacy by HRMA, legislation passed authorizing 55-foot channel project for Hampton Roads.

1993 HRMA awarded the President's "E Star" Award for export service by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

2003 Defended against a major initiative to tax waterfront pier owners retroactively and prospectively that would have cost the industry millions of dollars annually. VMA efforts resulted in a statutory exemption for the maritime industry.

2008 Secured state funding to enable construction of the Heartland Corridor project designed to significantly reduce transit times to the Midwest market.

2013 Reacted to unsolicited proposals for privatization of the state-owned terminals. The General Assembly took three actions related to privatization of the operations at state-owned terminals: 1) Legislation was passed that will institute reforms at VPA/VIT designed to eliminate redundancy and reduce expenses. This legislation also prevents the Commonwealth from accepting unsolicited proposals under the PPTA for VPA facilities and operations while preserving its ability to partner with the private sector. 2) The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) is directed to study the port’s competitiveness, efficiency and governance structure and report its findings to the General Assembly. 3) Lawmakers amended the state budget to include language prohibiting any sale or lease of the Port of Virginia until a comprehensive study of port operations has been completed, and any such sale or lease has been subsequently approved by the General Assembly.

2014 The General Assembly amended the Code of Virginia relating to the Board of Commissioners of the VPA to specify "the Governor shall appoint at least one member with maritime shipping experience from a list of at least three nominees provided by the Virginia Maritime Association, who shall not be a paid member of the Virginia Maritime Association or have any other conflict of interest with the Virginia Port Authority.” This change was sought by VMA to ensure the maritime community would always have representation on the Virginia Port Authority Board.

2016 Virginia General Assembly appropriates $350 million in funding toward capital improvements for Norfolk International Terminals. This one time funding is the largest single allocation of state funds toward port infrastructure to date.

http://www.vamaritime.com/?page=History

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/transportation/graphics/eastcoastports.png

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/keepclear.pdf

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=203217

http://buoybay.noaa.gov/featured-users/ben-schill

photo by Eric Greene

photos by Eric Greene

photo by Eric Greene

NNS and American Aircraft Carriers In 1933, Newport News Shipbuilding would forever mark its place in history by launching Ranger (CV 4), the first American ship designed and built as an aircraft carrier from the keel up. At only 14,500 tons, Ranger weighed far less than today’s 90,000-ton behemoths, but it carried the future of the shipyard and the Navy on its 700-foot flight deck.

USS Ranger CV 4 at pier with Newport News workers in 1933.

In fact, the three carriers launched just a couple of years after Ranger helped turn the tide of World War II in the battles of Coral Sea and Midway. While Yorktown (CV 5) and Hornet (CV 8)were lost during the war, Enterprise (CV 6) would become the most combat-decorated ship in the history of the Navy. The Yorktown and Hornet names would be reborn in the next aircraft carriers built at the yard, the Essex-class. The shipyard would deliver nine of the 24 carriers to the Navy. That meant that every three months or so, the shipyard was launching a 33,000-ton carrier. The shipyard would design its third class of aircraft carriers – the battle carrier – and build two of them. The 45,000-ton ships were the world’s largest carrier at the time. Midway (CV 41) and Coral Sea (CV 43) wouldn’t serve until the war was over, but marked the first of the post-war large carriers.

Enterprise under construction on Sept. 20, 1960. She was the first nuclear-propelled

aircraft carrier.

Then came the age of the "Supercarrier." The 1950s and 1960s brought contracts for the Forrestal (CV 59), Ranger (CV 61), America (CV 66) and John F. Kennedy (CV 67) – designed to launch jet aircraft. Forrestal topped 1,000 feet in length and took on the familiar angled flight deck of today’s carriers. But the 1950s also brought nuclear power to the carrier fleet with the construction of Enterprise (CVN 65), launched in 1960. Named after CV 6, the second "Big E” would change the yard and the future of Navy aircraft carriers forever. In 1972, Newport News Shipbuilding launched the Nimitz (CVN 68), the first of the Nimitz-class, ending the reign of boiler-powered ships and filling the shipyard’s dock for the next 30 years. All 10 ships in the class were designed, built and refueled in Newport News. Today, the next era of aircraft carriers is being formed in our docks. The shipyard is building the first two ships of the follow-on class to Nimitz, the Gerald R. Ford-class. The first ship, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), was launched in 2013. Construction on the second ship, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), began in 2011.

Nov. 17, 2013 - Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) takes its first journey, leaving the dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding where it was constructed and moving a mile downriver to

complete final outfitting and testing. Photo by Chris Oxley / NNS http://nns.huntingtoningalls.com/products/carriers/history